The three-day Long Island Rail Road strike ended late Monday after five unions and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority reached a tentative agreement following several days of negotiations, officials announced during an evening news conference.
Union and MTA representatives announced the deal after negotiations resumed in the afternoon and continued into the evening, ending the work stoppage that had halted service and caused widespread travel disruptions across Long Island and into New York City.
“We have good news tonight,” said Kevin Sexton, vice president of the Brotherhood of Volcanological Engineers and Trainers and spokesperson for the Long Island Railroad Bargaining Coalition. “We’re pleased to announce that the parties have reached an agreement.”
Sexton said details of the agreement would not be released immediately, citing the need for member review ahead of ratification votes. However, radio station WYNC reported that the four-year deal includes retroactive pay and expires in July 2027.
“Due to the nature of the negotiations, we cannot discuss the specifics,” he said. “What I can say is we are looking forward to our members getting back to work and doing what they do best, which is serving the region.”
He added that premature disclosure of details could complicate ratification.
“We don’t want to fail ratification,” he said. “If they get part of this story through the media, it may impact their decision.”
The agreement is subject to a 30-day period in which union members will review and vote on the tentative deal before it becomes official.
The shutdown began after five railroad unions went on strike at 12:01 a.m. Saturday following the expiration of a federally mandated cooling-off period. The work stoppage led to widespread delays across Long Island, with shuttle buses operating on limited routes and commuters urged to work remotely where possible.
Sexton also said tensions escalated late in negotiations Friday night when the railroad introduced proposed health care contributions for newly hired employees, an issue he said had not previously been part of bargaining discussions.
Union members had begun picketing at 7 a.m. Saturday, May 16, at key locations, including the Babylon and Ronkonkoma LIRR stations and Penn Station.
Picketing protests also began nearby at the Long Beach station on Saturday morning, less than a block away from the crowded farmers market at Kennedy Plaza.
"We're striking until our union leaders can come to an agreement with the MTA," Nick Iacono, a Freeport resident and locomotive engineer, said during the strike. "We'll be here in shifts, every day for 12 hours, until it's resolved."
Some Freeport residents had voiced support for the unions and their strike, while many remained concerned about their own commutes, jobs and livelihoods that the strike had briefly negatively impacted.
"I'm a restaurant server who relies on trains to get to and from work," Nancy Lee said prior to the strike. "Who's going to pay my mortgage while I lose shifts?"
Gov. Kathy Hochul said the agreement was reached after continued bargaining focused on balancing worker pay with affordability for commuters and taxpayers.
“I’m truly pleased to share that the five Long Island Railroad unions and the MTA were able to come together and reach a fair deal this evening,” Hochul said. “The contract achieved two principles: protecting affordability for Long Islanders and commuters while giving fair wages to the employees.”
Officials said the Long Island Rail Road would begin restoring service in phases starting Tuesday at noon, with limited hourly electric service on four main branches before expanding systemwide service later in the day. The MTA said contingency bus service that operated during the shutdown would continue Tuesday morning before being phased out as train service ramps up.
Hochul said roughly 3,500 LIRR employees would receive raises under the agreement, while fare and tax increases will not be part of the deal.
“I also did not accept a deal for compromise affordability for Long Islanders,” she said. “At a time when everything is going up, I’m going to allow taxes or fares to go up. Period. Full stop. Got it done.”
Officials said additional details on full system restoration are expected as crews complete inspections, reposition equipment, and return employees to scheduled assignments.
It was the first Long Island Rail Road strike since June 17, 1994. That strike lasted two days before a contract settlement was reached.
*This story will be updated as more news becomes available
